27 May 2008

Copenhagen Rainy Day


The rain fell all day but the bikes rolled on. This stretch of bike lane is 'medium-sized' - it gets about 10,000 bikes a day - and is located about 4 km from the heart of the city.

Here's a previous post about Biking With Umbrellas.

Two of my biking with umbrellas photographs have been immortalised for all time as postcards available at our online boutique:

15 comments:

Unknown said...

OK, I bike in another rainy city, Portland, using rain gear like everyone else. I've never seen anyone bike with an open umbrella. Does it really keep you dry, or at least drier?

Colville-Andersen said...

Open umbrellas are hardly a rarity here. We have a post about it. And we have a tag Biking With Umbrellas with many other photos.

Most people who do a regular commute at the same times each day will don a thin raincoat or carry it with them.

But many people who just need to ride a few kilometres from A to B to C will just wear a hat or carry an umbrella. If the rain increases, you'll find clusters of cyclists waiting under trees or awnings until it lessens.

If it doesn't then they'll just put their head down and get on with it.

Colville-Andersen said...

oh... sorry... i don't know if they keep you drier but they at least keep your head and upper body dry-ish.

your trousers will get a bit wet but almost all bikes have fenders for the spray so it's not that bad.

it's just water. :-)

Gratistotal said...

i am bored about the rain...we have had here two months with a continuous rain....

Colville-Andersen said...

In Madrid?!

Anonymous said...

Cool.
Jack

Milton Pires said...

Thanks to both your blogs I went to visit and ride in Copenhagen from Tuesday to Monday and the wheather was great! How lucky I was! :)

Great city.

Anonymous said...

i love this blog!!!

Colville-Andersen said...

milton: very lucky! tuesday rained all day BUT today, wednesday, is sunshine.

You came here because of the blogs? Boy, I REALLY need to demand a cut of tourism revenue...

You came here because of the blogs and DIDN'T let us know?! Shame on you! :-)

Milton Pires said...

You are right... Shame on me.

I'm a bike user in Portugal and I'm very interested on bikes so after visiting Amsterdam I went to Copenhagen. Why Amsterdam? Because of the "Dutch bikes brand" as you posted. :)

In fact I had allready visited Ahrrus a few years ago (I found Denmark a really nice country)and I was amazed with the cycling habits. But only after I started reading your blogs I realize it was I bigger thing and that Copenhagen was that big cycling city!

I read your blogs for a while but I have never posted so I didn't wanted to disturb you and ask to meet you and your family; I could have thought of that and ask it. It would be the best way to really know the city and his bike culture...

Anonymous said...

One must have to be SUPER BUFF to do a one handed cycle with an umbrella in the other hand. Did it once and it did not work for me. Besides, Chicago is too windy so cycling + wind and rain = no good for holding an umbrella and steering into gale-force winds off Lake Michigan.

I did a little giggle though when my partner found these umbrellas for bikes from Basil. Hee! (http://www.basil.nl/producten/19001S.jpg)

Randall said...

Thought you would appreciate this article and photo from the main page of CNN today. I think the blue shoes really made the photo.

Colville-Andersen said...

Next time, Milton. Next time! :-)

Jennifer... I can assure you that you don't have a patent on wind. It is the primary meteological feature in Copenhagen. We're on an island. For 3/4 of the year we get blown away from either the North Sea or the Baltic Sea.

Our newspapers even have a Bike Weather forecast, including that all important wind speed as you can see here.

So riding with an umbrella in the wind and rain is second nature. .-)

roadrider... cool link, thanks.

Gratistotal said...

YES, YES, its true, two months with continuos rain!! fucking weather

2whls3spds said...

jennifer,
It is a handy trick to learn ;-)

I have only ridden with an umbrella a couple of times, normally I am a poncho kind of guy, or if it is warm and I am headed home...just get wet. I do like the idea of the handlebar bracket, I may have to order one of those for my current bike. In the US I think riding with an umbrella could be a safety issue. Drivers here ARE NOT on the lookout for cyclists and we have to share the lanes with them in many areas :-(

Aaron